KANSAS CITY, Mo. – United Soccer Coaches announced the defenders on its NCAA Division I Women's Players to Watch lists for the 2023 intercollegiate season, and SIUE's Matea Diekema is on the national radar.

The list is comprised of 35 women nationwide.

Diekema, the Ohio Valley Conference Defender of the Year in 2022, returns to lead the Cougar back line. She is a fourth-year player for the Cougars who is in graduate school at SIUE after earning her bachelor's degree in three years.

The lists are being released for the first time this season by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and first or second team All-Region players from 2022, who are scheduled to return for the 2023 season.

2023 NCAA Division I Women's Players to Watch - Defenders

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Arely Alaniz	Sr.	Lamar University	Deer Park, Texas
Hannah Anderson	GR5	Texas Tech University	Plano, Texas
Maya Antoine	Sr.	Vanderbilt University	Vaughan, Ont.
Natalie Bain	So.	Xavier University	Alexandria, Ky.
Megan Bornkamp	Jr.	Clemson University	Mooresville, N.C.
Zoe Burns	Sr.	University of Southern California	Issaquah, Wash.
Brooklyn Courtnall	Jr.	University of Southern California	Westlake Village, Calif.
EmJ Cox	So.	University of Texas	Dallas, Texas
Raegan Cox	GR5	Michigan State University	Muskegon, Mich.
Matea Diekema	GR4	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	Grand Rapids, Mich.
Kayla Duran	GR5	University of Southern California	Woburn, Mass.
Elise Evans	So.	Stanford University	Redwood City, Calif.
Eva Gaetino	Sr.	University of Notre Dame	Dexter, Mich.
Kylie Gazza	GR5	Samford University	Cumming, Ga.
Madison Haugen	Sr.	University of Georgia	Cumming, Ga.
Victoria Haugen	Sr.	Virginia Tech	Bristow, Va.
Lyndsey Heckel	Sr.	Saint Louis University	St. Louis, Mo.
Sade Heinrichs	Sr.	Georgia Southern University	Monchengladbach, Germany
Bridie Herman	GR5	Liberty University	Springboro, Ohio
Alivia Kelly	Jr.	University of New Hampshire	Pembroke, Mass.
Julia Leas	GR5	Georgetown University	Vienna, Va.
Kaycee Manding	Sr.	South Dakota State University	Waipahu, Hawaii
Emily Mason	Jr.	Rutgers University	Flemington, N.J.
Logan McFadden	Sr.	Lipscomb University	Birmingham, Ala.
Lilly Reale	Jr.	UCLA	Hingham, MA
Payton Robertson	GR5	University at Kentucky	Toronto, Ont.
Jade Rose	Jr.	Harvard University	Markham, Ont.
Jenna Shepherd	Sr.	Utah Valley University	American Fork, Utah
Ellie Simmons	So	University at Buffalo	Arlington, Va.
Grace Stordy	Sr.	University of Memphis	Calgary, Alb.
Allyna Thurston	Jr.	University of North Florida	Cassellberry, Fla.
Lava Vaka	GR5	Brigham Young University	Sandy, Utah
Kennedy Wesley	GR5	Stanford University	Rossmoor, Calif.
Katie Zailski	So.	University of Pittsburgh	Summerville, S.C.
Regan Zimmers	Sr.	University of Nebraska-Omaha	Omaha, Neb,

More like this: